Spacers for Insulated Glass

ABSTRACT

This invention provides a sealing spacer for spacing apart two window panes to form a window assembly. The spacer has an elongated, flexible strip having opposed edge surfaces and opposed side surfaces. The spacer also has a fiber reinforced polymer layer over the elongated, flexible strip. The opposed edge surfaces undulate with crests and troughs. The spacer has an activatable sealant for directly sealingly securing the flexible strip to each of the two window panes. The activatable sealant is on each of the opposed side surfaces of the fiber reinforced polymer. The invention also provides methods for making the spacer and window assembly.

BACKGROUND

Insulated windows are assembled by spacing two layers of glass in afixed relationship. The layers of glass are fixed together at the outeredges of the glass with a removable or permanent spacer plus a sealant,or a structure that contains both a sealant and spacer. The layers ofglass are sealed together, forming a sandwich structure that containsthe sealant and/or spacer between the glass layers. There is also asealed air pocket between the two glass layers.

The formation of a window assembly requires multiple steps when aremovable spacer is used. First, the spacer must be placed between theglass layers. Second, the sealant is injected at the edges of the glass.Third, the sealant is cured. Fourth, the spacer is removed. This processis labor intensive and requires expensive equipment.

In contrast, when a permanent spacer is used, an adhesive is applied tosecure the permanent spacer between the two pieces of glass. The spaceris then set in place, followed by injection of a sealant between thespacer and the edges of the sheets of glass. This process is also laborintensive.

An alternative method of manufacturing insulated windows uses a unitarystructure containing both a sealant and spacer. Sealant and spacerstructures that are currently used are made of a flexible, hollow metalmaterial which has a support structure that is folded over the two edgesand one side of the hollow metal material, as in U.S. Pat. Nos.4,431,691 and 8,230,661. This support structure has many disadvantages,including increased manufacturing costs for materials and labor.Additionally, the presence of a support structure makes the spacer rigidand hard to bend to allow a 90 degree angle to be formed at the cornersof a window assembly.

FRP reinforcements offer a number of advantages such as corrosionresistance, non-magnetic properties, high tensile strength, lightweightand ease of handling.

SUMMARY

There is a need for a window assembly system with a spacer thatfunctions as a unitary sealant and spacer for window panes without asupport structure. This system has many advantages; for example, thespacer of the present invention costs less in materials and labor tomanufacture, and allows for more flexibility in forming the corners of awindow assembly, and increases the stability of the spacer. The spacerdescribed herein contains a fiber reinforced polymer, which offers anumber of advantages such as corrosion resistance, non-magneticproperties, high tensile strength, improved rigidity of the system,improved straightness of the panes, low weight of the spacer andassembly, and ease of handling.

The present invention is directed, in part, to a system containing asealing spacer for spacing apart two window panes. The spacer has anelongated, flexible strip having opposed edge surfaces and opposed sidesurfaces which undulate with crests and troughs. The spacer also has asubstantially flat strip having an inner surface and an opposed outersurface. A first adhesive adheres the inner surface of the substantiallyflat strip to the crests of one of the opposed edge surfaces of theelongated strip. A second adhesive adheres the outer surface of thesubstantially flat strip to a fiber reinforced polymer having a topsurface and opposed side surfaces, the fiber reinforced polymer shapedto cover the outer surface of the substantially flat strip and theopposed side surfaces of the elongated strip. The spacer also has anactivatable sealant on each of the opposed side surfaces of the fiberreinforced polymer.

The substantially flat strip can be metal such as aluminum. Thesubstantially strip can also contain a desiccant.

The invention is also directed to a window assembly comprising twowindow panes sealingly secured by the spacer of the invention.

The invention is also directed to a window assembly comprising a spacerassembly for spacing apart two window panes. The spacer assembly has anelongated, flexible strip having opposed edge surfaces and opposed sidesurfaces which undulate with crests and troughs. The spacer assemblyalso has a substantially flat strip having an inner surface and anopposed outer surface. A first adhesive adheres the inner surface of thesubstantially flat strip to the crests of one of the opposed edgesurfaces of the elongated strip. A second adhesive adheres the outersurface of the substantially flat strip to a fiber reinforced polymerhaving a top surface and opposed side surfaces, the fiber reinforcedpolymer shaped to cover the outer surface of the substantially flatstrip and the opposed side surfaces of the elongated strip. The spaceralso has an activatable sealant on each of the opposed side surfaces ofthe fiber reinforced polymer. The window assembly also has two windowpanes sealingly adhered to the opposed edge surfaces of the spacer bythe activatable sealant. In one embodiment, the window panes compriseglass panes.

DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the presentinvention will become better understood with regard to the followingdescription, appended claims, and accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a partially broken top perspective view of a version of aspacer having features of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partially broken bottom perspective view of a first versionof a spacer having features of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partially broken perspective view of a first version of aspacer having features of FIG. 1 in a window assembly; and

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the window assembly of FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION

As used herein, the following terms and variations thereof have themeanings given below, unless a different meaning is clearly intended bythe context in which such term is used.

The terms “a,” “an,” and “the” and similar referents used herein are tobe construed to cover both the singular and the plural unless theirusage in context indicates otherwise.

An “activatable sealant” is a sealant that adheres to an object such asa fiber reinforced polymer by the application of pressure, elevatedtemperature, or a combination of pressure and elevated temperature.

As used herein, the term “comprise” and variations of the term, such as“comprising” and “comprises,” are not intended to exclude otheradditives, components, integers or steps.

A “desiccant” is a material that functions to minimize the effects ofmoisture. The desiccant prevents moisture from condensing on theinterior surface of the window assembly. A desiccant can be part of thespacer, sealant, or spacer/sealant structure.

As used herein the term “sealingly secure” means an activatable sealantthat is able to form an air-tight seal with a second material.

“Fiber reinforced polymer” refers to a composite material made of apolymer matrix reinforced with fibers. The fibers can be any strong,stiff material or combination of material, for example, glass, metal,ceramic, carbon, paper, wood or asbestos or a combination thereof. Thepolymer can be any material or combination of material such as, forexample, epoxy or polyester resin, vinylester or polyester thermosettingplastic, and phenol formaldehyde resin, polyethylene, polypropylene,polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, synthetic rubber, phenol formaldehyderesin, neoprene, nylon, polyacrylonitrile, PVB, and silicone.

The present invention is directed, in part, to a window assembly systemcontaining a spacer for spacing apart transparent or translucentmaterials such as glass and plastic window panes.

In contrast to spacers used in prior window assemblies, the spacer ofthe present invention functions as a unitary sealant and spacer withoutthe need for a support structure. The present invention has manyadvantages over the currently used spacers; for example, the spacer ofthe present invention costs less in materials and labor to manufacture,is lightweight, has increased stability, and allows for more flexibilityin forming the corners of a window assembly.

FIGS. 1 and 2 depict a spacer 100 comprising an elongated, flexiblestrip 114 having an opposed first edge surface 124 and a second edgesurface 126 which undulates with crests 116 and troughs 118. Theflexible strip 114 also has an opposed first side surface 128 and secondside surface 130. FIGS. 3 and 4 depict a window assembly 152 wherein thespacer 100 is used to space apart a first window pane 122 and a secondwindow pane 123.

The first and second side surfaces 128, 130 of the flexible strip 114are rigid in order to resist compressive forces from the window panes122, 123, while the edge surfaces 124, 126 are sufficiently flexible tobend. The flexible strip 114 can be made of any rigid material, such as,for example, plastic such as polycarbonate (PC) or polyethyleneterephthalate (PET), or a metal such as aluminum.

The spacer also contains a substantially flat strip 110, the bottom ofwhich is adhered to the crests 116 of the second edge surface 126 of theflexible strip 114. The substantially flat strip 110 can be made out ofany rigid material, such as metal. A metal that can be used is, forexample, aluminum. The substantially flat strip 110 is adhered to thecrests 116 of the second edge surface 126 of the flexible strip 114 withan adhesive 112. An adhesive 112 can be any material that allows thesubstantially flat strip 110 to adhere to the flexible strip 114. Forexample, the adhesive 112 can be hot melt sealant butyl rubber.

The spacer 100 also comprises a fiber reinforced polymer 135 whichcovers the side surfaces 128, 130 of the flexible strip 114 and the topof the substantially flat strip 110. The fiber reinforced polymer 135 ispreferably formed from one piece of fiber reinforced polymer and isfolded or formed over the side surfaces 128, 130 of the flexible strip114 and the top of the substantially flat strip 110, forming two sidesurfaces 136, 137. The fiber reinforced polymer 135 is attached to thesubstantially flat strip 100 with adhesive 112.

An activatable sealant 121 covers the side surfaces 136, 137 of thefiber reinforced polymer 135. Suitable materials for the activatablesealant 121 can be, for example, a polymer, a resin, or syntheticrubber. Preferably, the activatable sealant 121 is butyl rubber. Adesiccant 111 can cover the top of the fiber reinforced polymer 135. Thedesiccant 111 removes moisture and optionally organic material from thespace between the first and second window panes 122, 123. The desiccantcan be, for example, silica, activated charcoal, calcium sulfate,calcium chloride, molecular sieves, or a combination of one or moredesiccants.

The activatable sealant 121 is used for directly sealingly securing thefiber reinforced polymer 135 covered flexible strip 114 to each of thetwo window panes, wherein the activatable sealant 121 completely coversthe opposed side surfaces 136, 137 of the fiber reinforced polymer 135,as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. An advantage of having an activatable sealant121 which completely covers the side surfaces 136, 137 of the fiberreinforced polymer 135 is that there is better contact between theactivatable sealant 121 and the fiber reinforced polymer 135 coveredflexible strip 114, which increases the overall stability of the spacer100 when it is used to space apart two window panes 122, 123.

The thickness of the activatable sealant 121 is sufficient to maintain acontinuous seal between the spacer 100 structure and the two windowpanes 122, 123. However, the activatable sealant 121 cannot be so thickthat it causes substantial distortion of the spacer 100 under appliedcompressive forces.

The invention is also directed to a method for making the spacer 100described above. First, the substantially flat strip 110 is adhered tothe crests 116 of the second edge surface 126 of the flexible strip 114with an adhesive 112 such as, for example, hot melt sealant butylrubber.

Next, the flexible strip 114 is placed on the adhesive 112, joining thesubstantially flat strip 110 to the second edge surface 126 of theflexible strip 114. A pressure of between 0.5 and 1.0 kilograms persquare meter is applied to the substantially flat strip 110/flexiblestrip 114 structure to allow the structure to adhere.

More adhesive 112 is extruded onto the top of the substantially flatstrip 110, and the fiber reinforced polymer 135 is joined to thesubstantially flat strip 110 by the use of pressing rollers. The sides136, 137 of the fiber reinforced polymer 135 are folded over the firstand second side surfaces 128, 130 of the flexible strip 114 by pressingrollers.

Activatable sealant 121 is then extruded on the sides 136, 137 of thefiber reinforced polymer 135. The desiccant 111 is also extruded on topof and adhered to the top surface of the fiber reinforced polymer 135.During extrusion, the temperature of the extruder is 80° C. to 90° C.After extrusion, the spacer is cooled to room temperature.

The spacer 100 described above can be placed between two or more objectsin order to space the objects apart and make an assembly such as, forexample, a window assembly 152. In the window assembly 152, a firstwindow pane 122 and second window pane 123 are spaced apart by thespacer 100, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

The first and second window panes 122, 123 can be any surfaces that aremade out of a material such as glass, plastic, or Plexiglas. The windowpanes 122, 123 can be made out of the same material or differentmaterial. In one embodiment, the window panes 122, 123 spaced apart bythe spacer 100 are glass panes.

The orientation of the spacer 100 is such that the side surfacesactivatable sealant 121 comes into contact with the window panes 122,123. The spacer 100 is able to resist substantial compressive forcesexerted upon it in a direction perpendicular to the surface of thewindow panes 122, 123. As shown in FIG. 4, the desiccant 111 is orientedtowards the inside of the window assembly 152.

The invention includes a method for forming a window assembly 152comprising a spacer 100 and two window panes 122, 123 sealingly adheredto the opposed side surfaces 128, 130 of the spacer 100 by theactivatable sealant 120. The method comprises placing the spacer 100between the two window panes 122, 123, adhering the spacer 100 to thetwo window panes 122, 123 by heating the activatable sealant to at least70° C. and/or applying pressure of at least 0.1 kilograms per squaremeter.

In order to form the continuous spacer 100 at a corner of the windowassembly 152, spacer 100 is placed on one corner of the first windowpane 122. The spacer 100 is then placed around the four sides and threeedges of the first window pane 122 until a second end of the spacer 100extends past the first end of the spacer 100. The second end of thespacer 100 is then folded on top of the first end of the spacer 100.Pressure is applied to the overlapping ends of the spacer 100, sealinglyadhering the spacer 100 to itself.

The second window pane 123 is then placed on top of the firstsubstantially parallel pane 122 and spacer 100, forming a sandwichstructure. To ensure that the first and second substantially parallelpanes 122, 123 and the spacer 100 are adhered securely together,pressure and/or temperature is then applied to the entire windowassembly 152. In the window assembly 152, the space between the windowpanes 122, 123 is sealed from the atmosphere, and the air can be removedfrom the space. A gas such as argon can be introduced in the spacebetween the window panes 122, 123.

The method of assembling a glass window assembly 152 can be used tomanufacture new or replacement windows with two or more panes of glass.A triple-paned glass window assembly can also be made by repeating thesteps above with a second spacer 100 and a third window pane.

EXAMPLE

A spacer was manufactured using the following method. First, a 0.03″thick butyl rubber adhesive was extruded onto the substantially flatstrip at a temperature of 70-80° C. Second, the flexible strip, made outof corrugated aluminum, was placed on the butyl rubber adhesive on thesubstantially flat strip. A pressure of between 0.5 and 1.0 kilogramsper square meter was applied to the substantially flat strip/butylrubber/flexible strip structure.

Third, the fiber reinforced polymer was adhered to the substantiallyflat strip with butyl adhesive. The fiber reinforced polymer was thenbent to cover the sides of the corrugated aluminum by pressing rollers.

Butyl rubber was extruded onto the entire side surfaces of the fiberreinforced polymer using an extruder at 80-90° C., and a die at 172-180°C. Simultaneously with the extrusion of the butyl rubber on the edge ofthe fiber reinforced polymer, a desiccant was extruded on top of andadhered to the top of the fiber reinforced polymer using an extruder at70-80° C., and a die at 172-180° C. After extrusion, the structure wascooled to room temperature.

Although the present invention has been discussed in considerable detailwith reference to certain preferred embodiments, other embodiments arepossible. Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should not belimited to the description of preferred embodiments contained in thisdisclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A sealing spacer for spacing apart two window panes comprising: a) an elongated strip having opposed edge surfaces and opposed side surfaces, wherein the opposed edge surfaces undulate with crests and troughs; b) a substantially flat strip having an inner surface and an opposed outer surface; c) a first adhesive adhering the inner surface of the substantially flat strip to the crests of one of the opposed edge surfaces of the elongated strip; d) a second adhesive adhering the outer surface of the substantially flat strip to a fiber reinforced polymer having a top surface and opposed side surfaces, the fiber reinforced polymer shaped to cover the outer surface of the substantially flat strip and the opposed side surfaces of the elongated strip; and e) an activatable sealant on each of the opposed side surfaces of the fiber reinforced polymer.
 2. The spacer of claim 1, wherein the substantially flat strip is metallic.
 3. The spacer of claim 2, wherein the substantially flat strip comprises aluminum.
 4. The spacer of claim 1, further comprising desiccant on the top surface of the fiber reinforced polymer.
 5. The spacer of claim 1, wherein the substantially flat strip is plastic.
 6. The spacer of claim 1, wherein the elongated strip is plastic.
 7. The spacer of claim 6, wherein the plastic is polyethylene terephthalate (PET).
 8. The spacer of claim 1, wherein the adhesive is an activatable sealant.
 9. The spacer of claim 1, where the activatable sealant is butyl rubber.
 10. A window assembly comprising two window panes sealingly secured by the spacer of claim
 1. 11. A window assembly comprising: (a) two window panes sealingly adhered to opposed side surfaces of a spacer assembly by an activatable sealant; (b) a spacer assembly for spacing apart the two window panes, the spacer assembly comprising: i) an elongated strip having opposed edge surfaces and opposed side surfaces, wherein the opposed edge surfaces undulate with crests and troughs; ii) a substantially flat strip having an inner surface and an opposed outer surface; iii) a first adhesive adhering the inner surface of the substantially flat strip to the crests of one of the opposed edge surfaces of the elongated strip; iv) a second adhesive adhering the outer surface of the substantially flat strip to a fiber reinforced polymer having a top surface and opposed side surfaces, the fiber reinforced polymer shaped to cover the outer surface of the substantially flat strip and the opposed side surfaces of the elongated strip; and v) an activatable sealant on each of the opposed side surfaces of the fiber reinforced polymer.
 12. The window assembly of claim 11, wherein the window panes comprise glass panes.
 13. The window assembly of claim 11, wherein the substantially flat strip is metallic.
 14. The window assembly of claim 13, wherein the substantially flat strip comprises aluminum.
 15. The window assembly of claim 11, wherein the spacer further comprises desiccant on the top surface of the fiber reinforced polymer.
 16. The window assembly of claim 11, wherein the adhesive is an activatable sealant.
 17. The window assembly of claim 16, where the activatable sealant is butyl rubber. 